the deepest dive into leah from stardew valley

[@Peachysodabum]

I think it’s funny as you try to dig deeper into why she made those egg men but me as an artist is like “sometimes we make lil guys. Just for funsies.”

[@justagirlexisting]

LMAOO THIS! I also tend to make tiny humans out of things!

[@jade-mariescott932]

I took up an entire page in my sketch book with doodle of a little wizard dude. Just a little dude cursing people

[@luneangelo9157]

this is the autistic hyperfocus hyperanalysis stardew representation I always needed (I have a thousand hours in this game help

[@sourgreendolly7685]

Help by joining you? On it.

[@breannalynn972]

omg i need a farm tour

[@3cherrybonbon]

We have a potential support group here

[@TheBrassGeologist]

2700 hrs here. Nobody here can save you, lol

[@BenSwagnerd]

Don't feel too bad, I'm approaching 4500

[@stxrmblessed]

in my head, leah is for the girls the same way alex is for the guys yknow. mlm and wlw solidarity with these two. also congrats on the wedding!! proposing with a mermaid pendant would actually be so cute omg

[@stxrmblessed]

re: leah's 'coming out' i think the easiest solution would have been so simply have her say "oh you're into girls? me too!" that way there's no need to pin a label on leah or the player. but yeah, what she says followed by what she does doesn't really fit together very well. i've never romanced leah as a girl before (or at all, i somehow find myself romancing alex every single time... oops) so this is my first time seeing that dialogue option so thanks for pointing it out!

[@squidmom3162]

I offer an alternative: Haley is for the girls. She’s literally a lesbian dreamboat

[@thethingcalledlisa]

@@stxrmblessed it would've also been interesting for her to use the word "sapphic" since a lot of people might not know that word and also her knowing sappho would've been an interesting way to somehow incorporate mythology into her art if Concerned Ape wanted to

[@stxrmblessed]

@@thethingcalledlisa absolutely!

[@KitsunekoOwO]

That is so true 🤣 my best friend is gay and he always romances Alex

[@anzuaoix]

I think Leah’s “You’re..? Me too.” might be her not knowing what label she’d like to tack onto herself, and not knowing what label the player goes by as well. It would’ve been better if she said “into girls”, but she might not want to say it out loud yet. Or ConcernedApe could’ve just been wary of saying anything. Either way, sapphic queen.

[@cass6020]

In my head, I've always filled it in with "into girls" because it's the most inclusive thing --there is no nonbinarism in your character (unfortunately) and she's a binary woman, so whether you're into only girls or have a different orientation than her, it's at least obvious that if you're expressing romantic interest in *her*...you're into girls.

[@endless_del]

yeah, ive always interpreted the trail off as her not knowing what label you use and the "me too" is her saying that she also likes women-- not necessarily saying that she shares whatever label with you

[@sugarblunt]

No part of me thinks that concerned Ape was wary of saying anything. He is a very kind and progressive person.

[@sophiathefurbst]

It makes sense she’d probably feel hesitant to use a word, also. One time I told my mom I was questioning my sexuality and the specifics don’t matter but she asked me why and in our brief conversation about it neither of us used an actual. Word. Or label. Like I said “so you think I’m not?” (when no sexuality label had been said, it was all in brackets)

[@koral.arthouse]

​@@cass6020say for yourself, all my stardew characters are transfeminine nonbinaries xD

[@emmettler]

i ran into concernedape outside my local grocery store, if i see him again i am unprompted asking about the older bachelor note

[@fionasangster]

hahha no time for groceries eric we need answers!!

[@lilaott6495]

the mermaid pendant wedding thing is so adorable and your dress was LOVELY

[@imogenmangle]

BABE WAKE UP NEW FIONA

[@imogenmangle]

ok well first of all, obviously massive congratulations to you and your new HUSBANNNDDDDDD!!!!!! 😭

[@RedRanunculus]

I enjoyed reading this!!!

[@DragonsRule02]

REAL SHIT

[@AryanaDugar]

This series is the best small KZbinrs always do it right

[@Beeherb]

Edit: I made this into a video on my channel I don't have a degree or anything but I did study art for 4 years so I'm gonna try and give some insight to what was going on with her art. The figure of the woman is generally pretty good, I believe it's a lot more traditional than the others because it's an anatomy study. You have to learn the rules to bend the rules and you can see she doesn't do anything too crazy. It's has good shape and technique (I'm just guessing with the technique because I see a kinda texture to the skin) the connection between her ex and the figure would be something that is on the little description but I presume she isn't comfortable sharing that kind of information to the rest of the town. The "post-dimensional nullspace" is artistic really good. It, not only, shows her knowledge of composition and shape but a knowledge of colour. She pushes the boundaries in terms of what is a shape, how her piece morphs and looks like growth and how she uses a color that is foundational but also is some times considered not real. Magenta and pink are close colours but they mean very different things, I'd say it's somewhere between those two and it gives more depth to the piece. It also shows a lot of movement despite being a sculpture. This one is also interesting because it's some what connected to how some artist view creativity. They think it's like the art is in the void and they connect to it and just bring it to life. Just something interesting I thought was cool cause of her trance thing. Now to my favourite one, egghead. You said that you confused about what she means and I think that's what intended by the piece. Her story makes a connection between art and people, so the fact that you're like "is this even art?" Makes her intentions with the piece make more sense. I love movement in the piece, it's more natural than machine which is why it's kind of pushing limits of what's human. In addition to that, by how I would define a person, that's a person. So to have it be very human and not human is very good. The wood sculpture is good, not great, just good. It makes movement with a stationery object which is cool. Her composition is solid, basic, nothing too crazy. I think this is one that could be connected to her saying she does it for herself because she's always working of this one. She put this one here cause it's her favourite and has an emotional connection I'm sorry if this makes no sense or I'm wrong, I only studied art for 2 years after secondary school so I'm not professional. I just thought I could maybe add to the art discussion while I might have the time to. My apologies if I made errors in my grammar or if my explanations are nonsense, I have a problem reading and writing. Edit, forgot to mention that when you look at leah's art in the order she mentions them, you can draw connections to art history. The traditional, modern, post modern and I think where we are now which is art that has more emotional significance. Okay thank you

[@Beeherb]

In conclusion, Leah art good I think

[@SageAsuka]

Saw your commentary and as someone who does have a bachelors and masters in art, I'm in agreement. Leah's art is good. Just want to add that technical skill is also something to consider. Sculpture is her focus, but she's worked with wood, stone, and also metal and machinery to create animatronics. Girl has some IMPRESSIVE range.

[@Beeherb]

@SageAsuka yayyy!! Feels better to know that my art analysis isn't trash!

[@alexpittheliker9165]

My comment might be less valuable because I am still studying under Bachelor of Science in Entertainment and Multimedia (Majoring in Gaming so much more less) I agree in your interpretation of her art display. I love how each of her art in the art display has their own silhouette, form, and even their type of art (for example, the figure of the woman seems to be realism, while Egghead is a Performative type of art piece), cementing the fact that she has a huge portfolio of works.

[@fionasangster]

omg thank you for this!! so interesting! i love hearing about this kind of thing but just cannot seem to get there myself lol

[@laelaps5246]

Leah is my true Stardew Love. I just addore how she is basically 90% of lesbian's profiles on dating apps, all in a single character.

[@m.-ki8yy]

The bisexuality tangent and queer talk hit so hard, you put a lot of experiences I had growing up as neuro-divergent queer person in my communities & circles. Overall, you're really well-articulated and dig into analysis in a way that's really refreshing! I love your videos sm fiona

[@fionasangster]

thank u!! 🩷

[@abbrakadabraalakazam]

I LOVE THAT YOU DID THE MERMAID PENDANT PHOTO WITH YOUR HUBBY!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! may you two have a future full of marital bliss.

[@miranda1113]

1. Congratulations on your marriage!!!! 2. Your crocheted bandana is so cute!!!! If you ever need soft cotton yarn, my personal favorite is the Friends cotton yarn from Hobbii. It's so so so soft and drapes so beautifully!

[@fionasangster]

ooh thanks for the tip!

[@Missysqueeze]

Now you can unlock your own 14 heart event with your husband! 😂 congrats and great video as always

[@nushgrabowski1184]

It was a bit surprising to me that Leah would have the bisexuality discussion in her video. It is very easy to notice the mechanic of the "gay button" with some of the other bachelors because its only after the bouquet is given that you get lines like "I've never felt this way about a girl before" etc. but Leah seemed more "officially" queer to me because she reveals her ex (and their gender) without you having to date her, so even if you don't pursue her she is still queer if the player is a girl, unlike other characters who only "become" queer when you ask them out. For me this made me think of Leah as a lesbian (since I always play as a woman) and most of the other bachelors as bi when you are their gender ("I never felt this way about a girl before" implies some previous attraction to men in abigail for example), but functionally they are all really the same playersexual kind of thing. It makes me hope that in haunted chocolatier there will be more exploration of this or at least some characters with set or explicit orientations no matter what the player's gender is. The stardew valley player base is so queer it would be dissapointing if the new game follows the same pattern

[@cass6020]

To me the bisexuality conversation makes so much sense with Leah because you can willfully see what you want with the other characters until they comment about their sexuality at 10 hearts, while Leah raises questions and brings information to the table, but also like...she can just be straight. If you're a guy, she's just straight. With Alex, for example, you can ignore the posters of muscley men and read the 'I wish there were more women in pelican town' type lines as straight still without questioning it and easily buy the idea that this is indeed his first homo crush when he tells you about it. Leah wasn't questioning her sexuality, she's already been in serious long term relationship(s) before you've met, so being playersexual just sounds so weird. It's not a revelation to her, but you'll still never hear her put a label on herself. I read it as bi, theoretically the most inclusive way to say it is to say pan, but lesbian or straight are equally valid even though she feels very queer coded. Idk, I do think the Verily Bitchie video articulates it better than I can (Verity's channel discusses sexuality a lot so that makes sense)

[@kittyspartan143]

I remember when Dragon Age/Mass Effect games were coming out and the NPCs were NOT playersexual. The most downloaded mods were to make them playersexual instead lol

[@PaMS1995]

SV has great modding support and I'm sure haunted chocolatier will too. So if we actually get characters with defined sexual identities it would open up possibilities for better representation and richer storytelling. And then anyone that wants to rewrite those characters to fit their preferences will have the tools to codify their fanfic into the game. I feel like that'd be the best of both worlds. Hopefully that's not problematic. idk. I'm terminally straight so please check me

[@leroyjenkins1249]

Great comment! But as much as I don't like to rain on your parade: While set-sexualities sound neat, players generally seem to hate it. Both forced het, as well as forced queer. Cyberpunk + Harvest Moon had this. Going with CA's design "vision", we already don't have a lot of POC-date options + most bachelors being strongly het-coded (the entire need for "I would never known that-). So not only would we get maybe 1-2 enforced queer characters -we'd also have 90% of rage posts in the community. Or people "mocking" CA by creating mods that makes it a game to turn queer into straight. Personally, I'd like to keep things playersexual BUT also more Leah-coded. Aka: Each Bachelor shows visible preferences. Says another woman/man is cute, that stuff. You also might have an easier time gaining affection as same-sex, compared to opposite sex. Though then again...I feel we'd also create the shitty idea of "queer is just a phase till the right man/woman comes along" sigh. Can't ever win, can you?

[@TheWayOfTheWott]

​@@leroyjenkins1249 full agree with this. while it does take away some potential storytelling, romanceable characters being whatever the player is just makes for a better experience. i'd also add, just as a personal anecdote, that I'm glad that Stardew doesn't have defined queer options because i feel like if it did, it would be Leah and Elliot. both because they have dialogue of being knowledgeable of a queer identity before the player, but also that when games usually do have rigid queer romance options, the role for queer male romance is usually given to long-haired romantic types like Elliot. which would suck because gay men, from my knowledge, usually gravitate more to options like Alex!

[@Captainn4t]

I feel like if the game committed to Leah being lesbian and having a female ex either way, it would make the creepy kiss scene make more sense in retrospect. She's always been into women, a man coming onto her is gross, but she realizes over time with the farmer that she's actually bi. Her own sort of self reflection story like Alex's. Making her ex change gender based on the player was definitely a poor choice, I think. Edit: I too am pmsing and over emotional about romance, absolute mood.

[@MickeyDee602]

Personally, I really like that nothing much changes when dating the characters as the same gender. It adds to the game's escapist nature since homophobia (aside from one or two George comments) doesn't really exist here. I do think it'd be 1000x better if the game had non-romanceable NPCs that were canonically queer as well though.

[@rowanfrady5649]

Congrats on the wedding!! You mentioned putting all of your attention on this youtube channel. While I speak for everyone in saying this series is amazing!!; I hope you remember to take time for yourself and try not to get burnt out. Self care is important and your mental health is more important than earlier videos

[@fionasangster]

aw so sweet thank you! im still trying to figure out a balance/routine but i do take breaks for snacks and stretches and to hunt down my cats and bother them

[@sari9645]

For no good reason I’ve never liked Leah so I’ve never romanced her or even tried particularly hard to befriend her so I’m super excited for this “episode” to get to hear all the stuff I’ve missed! You made me fall madly in love with Harvey so knowing my luck I’ll love Leah after this video

[@lilpetz500]

Honestly at first I got the impression that she was like a nature foodie, and didn't have too much interest in her, but like. Turns out she's actually very relatable, I'm an artist with a similar approach. Her being pretty private and reserved seems to make sense with her stronger character themes later in her storyline

[@annsh.6487]

Congrats on the wedding!!!!! Will you do your husband's heart events deep dive next?:D

[@leslieviljoen]

Concerned Ape was basically Leah, working on art, being supported by Kel, scraping by.

[@cyanidenightshade]

I know this is supposed to be a neat allusion to concernedape, but all i can think about is his cursed pc set up

[@arcanelyCryptic]

What Michelangelo and Leah mean by basically revealing the sculptures from the material, often refers to the feeling of working with things like rock and wood at all. Theres grains there, flows with the wood and rock you have to work with. If you go against it, itll break it in some areas---or change the outcome entirely depending on the piece you choose. It makes every one unique, and it makes the process of working with it that much more close-feeling. So So as youre working with something like wood, you do have to etch and carve at it with regard to that grain, and sometimes the wood just does what it wants to and wont heed easily at all--they have a shape they stubbornly want to stay in and be.

[@cass6020]

I recently married Penny, and she said she likes spring because it fills her with hope. (Which is unfortunate for her because this save file I arbitrarily decided to marry everyone so her hope is gonna get crushed, but at least Pam has been all over my ass about how special she is and how I need to treat her well so at least her mom does care)

[@fionasangster]

😭 poor penny

[@mushroompoet]

every one of these gets me more and more excited for how insane /pos the shane video will be

[@fionasangster]

me too tbh they're getting longer and longer so it could legitimately be like 3h

[@mushroompoet]

@@fionasangster i hope it is honestly!!

[@lilpetz500]

​@@fionasangster considering the hype in the series, he deserves the 3 hour feature length essay.

[@Kennedy-yv8id]

Fiona keeping us fed

[@katelilyreads]

“tiniest bit of knowledge about modern art that is solely gained from that one jacob geller video” YOU GET MEEE

[@fionasangster]

he's mother

[@acooldog4959]

i agree that the art show scene is better than the online store scene, but i do find it cute that she is working on the CSS for her site, since CSS sheets are often used to change the site's appearance, its like she is finding a way to be creative and artistic with this new medium :)

[@minn8301]

congrats on the wedding!!!! the mermaid pendant was literally so adorable!! love your videos

[@AnnaMations234]

2:53 yep bc in Elliot’s bedroom u can see a painting and if you click on it, it says “it’s a painting by Leah”

[@_paganka_]

As an artist (with a degree, as if it even matters), I think That LEAH'S ART Is in her experimental Stage, with a special place to abstract art in her heart. Her works are eclectic and diverse, which feels like she's challenging herself with different exercises in order to find her own voice in art. It can be that she's an experimentalist in nature, But from her exhibition we can see that the works are TOO Different in Artistic approach and style, Which probably means that she doesn't have enough works for a solidly themed exhibition. To understand her better as an artist, I'll briefly mention her works: 1) " Unnamed", In this sculpture it's very obvious that she has an interest in History of Art - This exercise has a classic approach, with the nude study of anatomy, an almost contrapposto, and the solid material. (+ Bonus Art points to Leah) A very "artistic" move to not name this work, giving the viewers space for their own feelings and imagination. 2) " Post-dimensional Nullspace", The pink wacky thing. This piece reminds me of early abstract art, with the vivid colour and the intuitive movement of the shape. It looks weird with the other pieces, but as an individual I think it's pretty neat. (+) 3) " Egg heads", Leah animatronic humanoid statue. The idea is very "Conceptual art Meets Doll making", Which is pretty interesting, But execution is "meh", and doesn't make sense In the constellation of this exhibition. (--) 4) " Wood sculpture 3", I genuinely think that It's the best sculpture of the four. It's simple with a nice inward movement, Abstract in approach, but not trying too hard. It's a celebration of her favourite sculpting material! (++), It seems like the most genuine piece she made, fitting with her personality and approach to life. AND Leah DEDICATED it to us so of course it's the BEST ONE (???) To conclude, I'm actually pretty impressed , Good job CA. (And the descriptions of these works are spot on artistic shenanigans, Loves it!). P.S: OMG, It took me a whole HOUR to write this down (Not a native English speaker so sorry if there's mistakes!), Either way I'm so happy that you did a video essay about Leah she's my favourite wifey, I was waiting for it since the day I discovered your channel!! ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

[@couch_philosoph3325]

I genuinly loved reading this. I study philosophy and work in a theatre project thingy at an art college. I am oftentimes kinda lost when we have community events with all the artsy people. Love art, but it feels like i am too logical for some of it. Like when a guy played the Piano for like 15 minutes and it was all dissonance; so like the music you hear in like horror movies. So i rly loved reading your abstract about leahs art, because it makes me understand the context more!

[@whalechief]

from my little formal background in art, here's what i got from the statues: 1st) the lady's posture is closed off. when we cross our arms, we are no longer open and inviting but instead closed off and possible insecure. there's insecurity in leah's art being recognized, this posture reflects that very well! could the lady be leah? 2) the wiggly guy. this one i think really reflects her mindset. there are heavy and thick tubes towards the bottom, bogged down by its own weight, it isnt going anywhere. then we see at the top some smaller tubes branching off, going upward as though there is hope and ambition still brewing, even if there are worries holding us back and weighing us down. the color i think if it were blue or purple we the audience would read it as sad or melancholy which it isnt so we can steer away from that. i think of magenta as an energetic almost whimsical and childish color of hopes dreams and ambitions. i think leah chose this color to show she may be an adult but she doesnt feel tied to that traditional role of taxes income 401k etc 3) egghead LOL ok so bottom egg is, to me, what we see on the outside as a viewer of a person. u meet someone and this is what you take in from looks and appearance. the second egg is action, what do we see the person doing, and we can make judgements, but we don't know the true intent (which is the final egg hint hint). the top egg is the reasoning and motivation behind the actions behind what we see at face value 4th) its a work in progress, she's always working on it just like we the player are always working on our hearts with leah. the twists remind me of an anatomical heart a bit but also it looks like the shape of a hug, so i think there's some form of romanticism to the geometric design. the color is just wood, its raw, its real, it is nature, and it isnt trying to be cosmetically what it isnt.

[@fionasangster]

what a mind, so interesting!!

[@trinity_does_stuff]

I LOVE all your tangents, the nitty gritty details in games design that went over my head. I also really resonated with what you said about eraser and "straight passing". Even me as a lesbian can "straight pass" to an exstent, because people just assume im into men (i dress kinda basic lol) no one who isnt close to me really knows im gay and thats because its none of there bussniss boy or girl. I have no clue if its me, or if its a thing with the whole community; being really private. I have nothing really more to say other than, thank you. Knowing someone else kinda feels similar to me makes me feel less alone. I guess thats why we are a community. (Amazing video!!!)

[@fionasangster]

🩷

[@Alex_Silverpen]

Congrats on the wedding! Last night I had a Stardew dream with my main man Harvey. Also the ASS trio of Abigail, Sam and Sebastian were there. Harvey is for sure my favorite Stardew spouse, but I do love most of them! Shane is the most difficult for me, because of my own mental health issues.

[@lilaott6495]

ass trio 😭😭 you win for that

[@fionasangster]

hahaha ass trio

[@Alex_Silverpen]

@@fionasangster that's what the fandom calls them at least!

[@artdiaries2260]

Congrats on your marriage! I hope you'll have many years of happiness together ❤️

[@artdiaries2260]

Also if you want to soften the bandana, soak it in a mix of 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar for about half an hour, rinse in cool water and dry

[@charliegreen7988]

I literally gasped and said “LETS GOOOOOO” when I saw this

[@juliacondensada]

I relate heavily to you. I'm bissexual too but I've never been with a girl because I've started dating my boyfriend before I had the chance. He and my close friends support me, but sometimes I feel that I'm somehow faking it, like I have to prove myself for someone. But I'm very happy in my (monogomous) relationship and I don't want to feel guilty for just existing. I like being atracted to both men and woman, I like being myself. So thank you for speaking out, it's good to remember that are a lot of people out there with similar experiences as you. Thank you so much.

[@Ottermyst]

I always kind of thought CA wasn’t a huge “art person” but wanted to give Leah that feel, so I never thought there was anything deep behind her art show pieces 😂 and I’m ok with that! I think it’s cute and humorous without dissing that artsy culture really. I also always liked how Kel’s sex changed with yours, but you’re absolutely right about the erasure that results from this kind of noncommittal story decision. I don’t fault CA for it but it’s good to talk and think about!! Alsooo curious about a game where your romance options can date each other :0c not sure if I’ve heard of that before!! ALSOOOO congrats on the wedding, you look lovely! Thanks for this series!!! 💕✨

[@lilpetz500]

Honestly as an artist, I'm used to and even appreciate a bit of parody in media of us. Like, even as someone who'd go wild sincerely analysing something like "Post-Dimensional Nullspace," I recognise that it's a bit of an overly philosophical word salad to describe a hot pink squiggly thing to most, and see the humour in it! (Seriously though, it's my favourite and I'm genuinely a little moved by those few pixels and her description, CA captured a very real concept there) Honestly, I feel appreciated when my field is commented on like that, and there is a bit of an issue in the high art world of pieces made to fit the aesthetics of more intentional work like Leah's, but functionally act as tax write offs and elitist statements. I like Leah's work, both seriously and unseriously, it feels like CA has a admiration for the field in that writing without necessarily being part of it, and it feels comforting to me. I'm the type who meets word counts on artist statements easily, as you can see 😅

[@ellagernander]

Binged this whole series in one day and u have not had a SINGLE incorrect take

[@lilpetz500]

Right?? I don't remember disagreeing with any of these comments on the writing of the series so far at all! At most, I kind of want to jump off of a lot of points she makes. If a sizeable group managed to get nuanced but unified impressions of a piece, I feel like the writer was a pretty good communicator in their work 🩵

[@SwedishCowboy420]

Also your tangent about bisexuality while in a straight relationship was very touching as a queer man in a long term relationship with a woman. Identity is important and being referred to as straight can be uncomfortable. Thanks for another great video.

[@atypicalcowboy]

spn jumpscare on a leah stardew valley video is a collision of hyperfixations i wasn’t prepared for (also you having (possibly 👀) worked on another game that was a huge hyperfixation for me??? i’m obsessed with you i fear)

[@fionasangster]

spn references are forever branded into my psyche, for some reason sam saying "crystal i would love to have the sex with you" when he was possessed or something plays in my brain at least once a week 😭 what game are u referring to? i can vaguely confirm or non vaguely deny haha

[@skyboxAngel]

i'm only a few minutes in but aaahhh congrats on the wedding fiona!!! the picture you shared with the mermaid pendant is so extremely adorable, and omg you look RADIANT in your dress. wishing yall all the happiness in the world :D okay now time to hear about my stardew artist girl :)

[@bestlaidplans2024]

I think maybe Leah wrote the older bachelor note when she first arrived in Pelican Town, as she was scoping out the singles scene

[@4to5MouseHive]

I interpreted Kel's "you're half right " as in they don't love Leah's art, they don't even care about the art, but they love Leah (or whatever love means to them)

[@bellaliandrino7735]

honestly you're my favorite channel now. also, congrats! you and your husband (mitski stop) look amazing together! your dress was so beautiful! i'm really happy for the two of you!

[@bloopityboop8434]

Returning after finishing the video with some ~juicy~ thoughts: - If you assume that "older bachelor" note is written by Haley, who Emily believes is trying to marry rich, it might make sense because she believes an older man might be wealthier? It's still hilarious because Elliot is a starving artist who lives in a shack, and Shane works at Joja. - I like your interpretation of Leah and Kel's previous financial situation as Kel wanting to funnel all their extra funds into saving for a house. HOWEVER, due to all of Kel's rather extreme behavior (bothering Leah and scheming to get her back presumably months after breaking up, the whole 10 heart scene) and my own personal experience, I wonder if he might have been financially irresponsible/abusive to Leah? If they were scraping by, he may have been putting an undue amount of financial responsibility onto her while not significantly contributing to the household himself. That would also align with the idea that he's supposedly scraping by while living in the city, but then he's suddenly blowing a ton of money on Leah's sculptures, which is definitely a superfluous purchase if he's barely making ends meet. Maybe he's using credit cards and getting himself into debt? Maybe he's using his savings? Again, this is largely based on my own personal experience with a previous financially irresponsible partner, so make of that what you will. - I got with Leah in a previous save and this video made me miss her. ;A; - As a fellow bi crochet girlie, I absolutely have to make that tapestry for pride. 💙💗💜 As always, thanks for sharing. Your videos spark joy. :3

[@lindaharris-]

Your wedding dress is absolutely gorgeous!! I also love your choice of flowers for the bouquet and your headpiece. So lovely! Thank you for sharing the extra pics at the end and for sharing a bit of yourself as well. I love that you give your opinions about these characters. I've spent 1000's of hours playing this game and have developed a lot of my own head cannon and opinions of each character - and while my thoughts and feelings may not always agree with yours, I totally appreciate a different perspective. Sometimes it even makes me rethink some of my own feelings about them and their stories. I'm really looking forward to more of the series! As a side note: Elliot has one of Leah's paintings in his cabin. Just a small piece of artwork on the wall (a cube) - if you didn't happen to click on it, you would never know it had any significance.

[@AlisonWonderland96]

I’ve read that blocking bandanas can help with the draping and fit of it! I’ve never blocked any of my stuff because I’m too lazy but that’s a tip I’ve seen online! 🥰

[@fionasangster]

hahaha i never do either 😭 i did block this tho and it helped, it used to just lay basically entirely flat on my head lmao

[@obiwancanolli]

FIRST i just want to say congratulations on getting married 🥰 and thank you so much for being vulnerable while this video. What makes this series so special is how you pour so much of yourself into it, your own perspectives and opinions are really valuable. Plus, you have such a lovely personality that is a joy to watch on camera. I hope your youtube career flourishes ❤

[@fionasangster]

thank you 🩷 i was so nervous about this one, probs bc it has the most of myself in it, so hearing that that's what makes it special makes my heart explode 😭

[@buttercupkat]

@@fionasangster It's called YOUTube for a reason! 🌻

[@ParagonBourne]

I just bought stardew valley recently and I’ve been loving it! Something about Leah kinda drew me to her, I think it might be that parallel of escaping that 9-5 unfulfilling job to go live out in the woods tbh

[@sillyas92]

I'm so happy you're finally covering the best girl :) Once you're done with all of em you gotta make a super compilation!

[@ninjabanana]

ohhh i just had a thought about Kel’s gender matching the Player Character’s: perhaps it’s related to the punch choice, since if Kel was always a woman, playing as a man would present an opportunity for a man to punch a woman in the face, which probably wouldn’t go over very well! another great vid, i started binging them yesterday 😊

[@Beeownedknees]

That’s a great point!

[@lilpetz500]

That's what I was thinking. It was probably an effort to work around the implications of a man punching her ex gf, or singling out the queer version of the storyline to have that event if they cut it from only the femme Kel path.

[@shir0ko]

i really loved watching the video you made for elliott it was probably the first podcast i listened to, without skipping over any parts at all you have very interesting insights about characters and now i'm excited to watch more of your videos! also congratulations on the wedding and thank you for sharing your happiness with us

[@annabellelynn8614]

Leah was my first (and only so far) Stardew wife, I really loved her cottage-core vibe and how sweet and just herself she is We adopted a kid and all her sweet reminiscing and how happy she is really makes me super happy and it's so much fun to go day by day with her

[@nwotnaeb3522]

i love your commentary so much i'd love to see more even after you get through the stardew bachelors and bachelorettes! Also, as a bisexual woman in a straight passing relationship the whole "am i pretending to be queer or am i experiencing comphet" thing is too real. Its so nice to hear about someone else's experience with that sort of thing :]

[@flanberry]

In an age of digital stuff, its super healing to see how crafty you are with the crochet, papers and stickers :) Congratulations on your wedding, the pictures are beautiful and the Mermaid Pendant moment is so special! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and life with us!! :))

[@Sara-yz7nc]

IM SO HAPPY YOU POSTED BECAUSE IM PLAYING RIGHT NOW Also congrats on the marriage ❤ the wedding sounds super sweet 😊

[@nmc123y]

8:40 My theory is that Leah hates being gifted bread not because she hates its taste, but because thats one of the few food she can afford (she makes her salads herself) so she's sick of eating it.

[@lilpetz500]

Honestly, I like this theory as someone who definitely has the zest for life but strained budget to have foods I'm put off of In a vacuum, Leah seemed like exactly the type to love to receive a loaf of fresh bread as a gift, but this context makes sense and deepens her character

[@straycat698]

Fiona becoming one of the few youtubers who make me drop everything to watch the latest video 🖤

[@Fauxglove]

Integrating the mermaid pendant was so cute! Happy to see you happy and VERY happy for more sdv deep dives 👀

[@urbrkfst9475]

the wedding pictures are so gorgeous !!! so happy for you and glad to hear we’ll be seeing more of your videos

[@WhiteTrashTennessee]

These are the best videos to ever come out of council housing!

[@julissaybarra4031]

Thoughts on post-dimensional nullspace statue: I’ve always wondered if this sculpture title was a math reference. Eric Barone has a degree in computer science, which typically requires linear algebra (aka matrix algebra) as part of the major. Both dimension and null space are concepts typically seen in a linear algebra course. For context: -Matrices are basically maps from one set of items to another, and these maps follow certain rules. -The null space of a matrix/map is the set of all items that get mapped to 0. -I’m going to oversimplify & slightly misrepresent the definition of a matrix’s dimension here. But it’s somewhat similar to picturing the smallest number of “dimensions” (in the definition you’d normally see, like when you see the phrases 1D, 2D, 3D, etc.) needed to represent a particular mapping. As far as I know, there’s not a formal definition of “post-dimensional” in mathematics, which is where I believe it’s stretching the boundary of human imagination. I immediately imagine this as meaning we’re talking about an infinite-dimensional space. Putting everything together, I imagine that Leah is trying to imagine a space with an infinite number of dimensions, and is coloring pink all of the points that are getting mapped to 0. But since we can’t see an infinite number of dimensions in 3D, we have to see it as a sort of cross section? An infinite dimensional space may also give an interesting feeling of contrast to the fact that a certain set of points is being mapped to a single point 0, a number associated with nothingness in certain contexts. I’m not sure if ConcernedApe was actually thinking about any of this, but I did want to add the context of where the title may have come from given his background.

[@julissaybarra4031]

Also congrats on getting married!!!

[@jessguinn]

I’m bad at math, so I appreciate this passionate deep dive! 😅

[@alix4256]

I laughed so hard at the salad meme HAHSFJH I've really appreciated these videos of yours! The sprinkle of memes/media references are very much my taste + your commentary/reflections are thoughtful and engaging

[@tash7009]

You have no idea the scream I scrumpt when I saw this video pop up! I've been so excited!!

[@benyness]

i was literally rewatching all your previous videos yesterday for the 100th time thanks for feeding the streets 💜💜💜💜

[@ribbitcryptid]

Congrats on the wedding!!! Excited to hear you talk about my GURL

[@eggloon3120]

ur bisexual tangent actually makes so much sense to me, i myself feel the constant internal conflict of if im just attention seeking or feeling fomo and wanting to be in the queer community and that im just straight or am i actually bi, so u bringing up what uve felt really made me feel more comfortable with who i am and it just clicks haha (and omg i found ur channel a few days ago and i literally love love ur content)

[@furonguy42]

I feel like the issue with the "asking for a kiss" variant of the Two Heart scene could be resolved by making the difference a lot more subtle. Instead of having wildly different dialogue and then she hits the player character, the dialogue could have been something like "I'm flattered, but this was seriously not the time for that when I'm trying to show you my art. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." (Or, you know, a more refined version of that sentiment), and they can still differentiate with the annoyed face for a male player and a surprised face for a female player - it still conveys to either gender that she might be interested later down the line, and it conveys that your advance was inappropriate, without making the queer version of the scene feel clunky. I don't know if you've played "Coral Island" - its a Stardrew clone that wears its inspiration on its sleeve (though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a ripoff), but it mostly does better at handling LGBT representation, with two non-binary characters, one of whom is romanceable, and the other is canonically in a queer-passing relationship with another character (and I think there's some other canonically LGBT characters, but I can't remember right now). For that matter, it also does better than Stardew at celebrating a wider variety of body types and ethnicities. Could be worth checking out if you haven't already once you're done with the Stardew character deep dives.

[@fionasangster]

oh ive never heard of that! ill make a mental note to check it out sometime :) (and i agree with your take!!)

[@moonctrl]

leah is my fav stardew character and i really enjoyed this deep dive !! i'm always looking forward to your videos fr ahhh

[@wisteriatears_shop]

babe wake up new fiona vid is out. congrats on the wedding!!

[@emowill]

I'm so addicted to these videos, so excited for you to post more!!! They're perfect to listen to while i paint!!! it's so nice having an almost literary approach to analyzing a game like stardew, because i feel like people dont dig deep enough into the actual story/text of the game. i eat these videos up everytime 🙏🙏🙏

[@ildi_szofi]

Yessss new podcast just dropped!! 😍 Also, congratulations on the wedding! 💞

[@외로운_무민]

What perfect timing! Your videos got me back into playing Stardew Valley, and this time I’ve been especially focusing on the social aspect of it. In my previous playthrough I maxed out hearts with Elliot just to get his room added to my house, and I didn’t gain any hearts with anyone else. This time around I’m torn between Harvey and Leah. I already got to 8 hearts with each, but I like watching your videos to see what happens next to decide who I want to pursue. These have been my comfort videos, thank you so much for them 🤍 Very funny, insightful and plain old fun!!

[@miramar99]

congratulations on the wedding!!! commenting so the algo knows this is good and reccs it to many many people

[@beanouo]

i started watching when elliott's came out, so now i wait (patiently, as not to put stress on u queen) for these videos!! i've gotten my cousin into it and we do watch parties, please dont tell her i started this one 😂 (edit to add) I forgor to say that this series is so well done, and well loved. I'm happy I found it! you've done such a good job at gathering info and presenting it in a way that grabs attention and keeps it, even if it's something heard before/seen in the game yourself. and of course, congratulations on your wedding!! 🎉

[@fionasangster]

omg watch parties 😭 thats the cutest thing ever i love that for us!!! thank u for the kind words!! 🩷

[@lilpetz500]

✨EMILYPILLED✨ As an artist who cant choose between the two ladies in this game to kin, I'm am very grateful for your addition to the conversation, and this entire video really

[@twilightshine5264]

I’m so happy to see a new video so soon after the last one!! Also congrats on the wedding!! :>

[@sammalbee]

I've been enjoying this video series SO MUCH, thanks for sharing all of these thoughts, and also thanks for the vulnerability - Leah was the first character I ever romanced in Stardew, and I had also just come out as bi, (this was back in like, 2016) so it was really cool for me to see her journey moving on from a femme ex, but I totally get that the "rep" is probably lacking when looking at it from a wider lens. I appreciate these deep dives so much, I'm having a great time! I will be needing a "shane side-tangent" supercut after the whole series comes out though!!!! haha

[@bwidge8073]

yay new upload love watching them!! i do art and go to a contemporary art school, her art is alright. i agree that context can really help a piece. her stuff is kinda scattered about and doesn’t seem to have as much cohesiveness to it. some people stick with a style, some just do everything which she seems to do. of course i love variety, she kinda seems to be just throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks. there doesn’t seem to be a theme she likes, but when you’re finally free in making what art you wanna do of course you can just do whatever you want to. i think it’s her just being able to have that freedom to make what she wants. i don’t think her art has to be the best and most show stopping, i actually like that she isn’t like a hidden gem. art is about self discovery so i think this being her first big step out of where she used to be is a good thing.

[@bwidge8073]

also omg love the life updates so pls keep including them! congrats on the wedding!! you looked so happy :)

[@BOLGO2-wj2si]

thank you for being vulnerable with your identity, i thought your analysis was great!

[@karaann9899]

congratulations on getting married! i hope you all are doing great and i love every single one of these videos ❤

[@tumblesmumbles]

Congratulations! You deserve it! I love these videos, they got me through finals and now through packing to move to my new place with my partner

[@addiet4340]

I love all the work that goes into these videos!!! It's so obvious how high quality they are, I love watching them

[@meegan8416]

The perfect world clip ALWAYS plays in my head whenever people say “in a perfect world” I was so shocked to see it start playing that I yelled out loud lol

[@fionasangster]

me too lol its a constant reference in this household

[@katierose6424]

loving this series so much! congrats on the gorgeous looking wedding and what a cute photo to have taken just for this channel :) excited to see you grow here, you seem so warm and also cheeky. don't mind me parasocialing in the comments lol

[@FlorPudding]

I need to note that I love that oen of the farmers is named throwaway LMAO As always, I'm loving your videos! Leah is quite nice (and pretty!) The closer we get to the letter S, the more excited I get

[@unsuspecting286]

I love you, I literally love Stardew Valley and these deep dives don’t even even need to be that deep but they’re made to be deep anyways, so I can just sit here and listen to two hours of it LOL I LOVE ITT AND HAPPY WEDDING

[@desireestoddard4219]

Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you both!

[@AlGoreRhythmmm]

I am absolutely in love with these videos of yours, and I sincerely hope you keep finding new subjects to deep dive on! Belated congrats on your wedding!

[@grimreapergal]

I will literally take the day off when you post Sebastian

[@fionasangster]

hahaha what an honour

[@Your_Local_Overlord]

I know this video was a little while ago but I think the musical theme is really interesting. Personally I interpret the green as the valley and Leah finding her peace in the valley with you while the gold could represent her previous struggle with kell and issues surrounding money. This could make sense with the scenes it’s played in too, first in the 2 heart scene where she is talking about her struggle with money and then in the 14 heart scene where she finds peace in her relationship with the player. This then creates almost like a full circle from her willingness to be free to her actually being free

[@detectivenovak]

i love this series with my whole heart. you are so fantastic at writing your videos to be entertaining for anyone (whether they've played sdv or not) !! cant wait for whats next...

[@PirateFrodoPotter]

Ok this was a wonderful video (they keep getting better and better!) and I am SO HAPPY FOR YOUUU your wedding dress was STUNNING!!!! Hope you had a wonderful day and a wonderful life together 🤩

[@raediance5523]

I think i want a mermaid's pendant as an acrylic keychain after this. So cute! Happy belated marriage!! It sounds like you and your hubby are super sweet! Sitting beside each other as you make scary calls is goals, my bf would never. whenever the switch gets the 1.6 update, im gonna do a forest farm and marry Leah and make a forage farm - and I'm so excited. I LOVE your analyses on these characters. I understand your want to disclaim each time. I would do the same. Can't wait for the next one!

[@annsh.6487]

literally working on my own CSS sheet while listening to this, crazy

[@thevoidcritter]

I don't know ConcernedApe personally, but he comes off as someone who maybe had good intentions overall, but either isn't educated about a lot of things or hasn't unpacked some baggage that a lot of us internalize (and might not even know he has said baggage)

[@mrsauceman5721]

Congrats on the wedding! I just discovered your channel and am binge watching it all, I really vibe with your personality, thanks for the hours of entertainment.

[@charlotteroberts]

I keep coming back to this series. Thank you so much for creating what I didn't realise by little ND brain needed. Wishing you a beautiful day.

[@fionasangster]

aw so sweet! you too!!

[@weevil13]

i looooove your stuff and i was thinking about this series just now and POW there it is!!! also CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WISH YOU ALL THE BEST WITH THE MARRIAGE

[@scroingl]

this one of my fav youtube series ever i love this sm